Hyderabad is the state capital of Andhra Pradesh and also the fifth largest metropolitan city of India. It is known for its vibrant history and historical culture with monuments, mosques, temples, a rich and varied heritage in arts, crafts, lifestyle and dance forms. The state of Hyderabad was founded by Quli Qutab Shah in 16th century on the banks of Musi. It is well known for its heart warming hospitality. Hyderabad is synonymous to the city of pearls which is also known as Bhagyanagram.
Hyderabad is not just a city of oriental glory but it is also reminiscent of the great days of the Indo-Muslim culture. Through the times, it has developed as a major hub for Information technology sector. In addition, this city is also known for its film industry particularly homeland for Telugu film industry, popularly known as Tollywood. It has a taste of its very own character, which is pretty evident in the mesmerising ancient palaces and the equally modern, and state-of-the-art offices and buildings. The IT sector has made a deep influence on the ancestral Hyderabad city and thus, it is often called as ‘Cyberabad”. There are several famous places to wander in this city. In this connotation, we are going to talk about five of the most famous places to visit in Hyderabad.
- Mecca Maszid
Mecca Maszid is one of the oldest mosques in Hyderabad and one of the largest mosques in the country. Mecca Mosque is a widely recognised heritage building located in the Old City of Hyderabad close to the historic landmarks of Charminar, Chowmahalla Palace and Laad Bazaar. Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah was the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. He commissioned those bricks to be made from the soil brought from Mecca, the holiest site of Islam. Later, he inducted those bricks into the construction of the central arch of the mosque. More than 7000 labours worked days and nights to build the mosque. It is believed that Sultan Muhammed Qutub Shah had personally laid the foundation stone of the ‘mosque’.
The Mecca Mosque lies 100 yards south-west of Charminar. The name is derived from the Grand Mosque at Mecca on which it is patterned and based upon. The main hall has a dimension of 67 meters by 54 meters and has a huge height of 23 meters. Surprisingly, the roof is supported by 15 arches, five on each of the three sides. The western side is blocked by a giant wall to provide the Mehrab. At each end, there are two huge octagonal columns that are made out of a single piece of granite each topped by an arched gallery that is crowned by a dome. The mosque is one of the largest in India and can accommodate ten thousand people at a time.
2. Ramoji Film City
The Ramoji Film City is situated at a distance of 35 kilometres from gatherings of the main city. A tour to the Ramoji Film Studio is enough to recognise why is it acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the largest film studios in the world. The film studio truly lives upto its name of a “city” as it is spread over a huge area of more than 2500 acres. Once you enter this place, you feel like you have entered a new city all together with hills, gardens, lakes, and at the same time flanked with spotless modern buildings. The Ramoji Film City is actually known as both the tourist attraction and major film-making facility. Having said that, Hyderabad looks like the product of an alliance between the famous magician P.C. Sarkar and Vishwakarma, the God of Architecture and Engineering. Talking about the magic element, there are several ghost tales associated with this city and hence, SuperParanormal considers it one of the most haunted places in Hyderabad.
The Ramoji film city is India’s answer to the Universal Studios in Hollywood, in every aspect. It is a place where realism obtains various traits of enchantment and inconceivability. Today, it is known as filmmakers’ first choice for its single-window, press-button facility that opens up an unlimited arena of creativity for every major and minor aspect of film production.
As some famous directors and producers put it, “The Film City has complete facilities at one place with latest technology and advanced equipments.” The studio’s brochure features and highlights its dictum as “Make the Magic Happen”. The magic however happens impulsively without human intrusion as though it is the key ingredient of the entire project. Yet, everything in the studio is totally real, whether it is the 50 studio floors, outdoor locations, high-tech laboratories, state-of-the-art technology and the lush green landscape and scenery.
3. Salarjung Museum
The Salarjung Museum is the third largest museum in India. It incorporates the biggest one -man collection of priceless antiques in the world, displayed in 35 rooms. Amongst them, the Jade room contains antique objects which relates to former Muslim rulers like Aurangzeb, Tipu Sultan, Shahjahan and the Asaf Jahis of Hyderabad. The Salar Jung museum in Hyderabad is one of the oldest museums in the country. It is the only museum with the largest compilation of personally collected artefacts from all around the world. In addition, this museum has the greatest collection of rare antiques and knick-knacks from all over the world. You would require an entire day for touring the museum itself.
The portraits of the Salar Jung, the Nizams of the Hyderabad city is the prime attraction in the Founder’s Gallery. The Indian art is exhibited in an assortment of majestic stone sculptures, bronze images, painted textiles, wooden carvings, miniature paintings, modern art, ivory carvings, jade carvings, metal-ware, manuscripts, arms & armor etc. One can also find Middle Eastern Art in the collection of expensive carpets, paper (manuscripts), glass, metal-ware, furniture, lacquer etc. These have been collected from Persia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Middle east and Egypt. The Museum is also horded with porcelain, bronze, enamel, lacquerware, embroidery and worn paintings, which have been skilfully crafted in China, Japan, Tibet, Nepal and Thailand.
4. Nehru Zoological Park
The Nehru Zoological Park is situated within the Bahadurpura area in Hyderabad, India. The Nehru Zoo is a huge sanctuary. It has been a hit among kids and elders alike. One must not miss visiting the zoo, because it could simply be a welcome change from the jungle. The Nehru Zoological Park is a vast wildlife sanctuary, containing a stretch of about 300 acres of land with about 1500 species of birds, animals and reptiles. a number of the favoured species of animals within the zoo are the Indian Rhino, Asiatic Lions, Royal Bengal tiger and White Tiger, activist, Giraffes and Black Bears.
5. Hussain Sagar
Hussain Sagar Lake which links populated area of Hyderabad and Secunderabad was constructed during the reign of Ibrahim Qutub Shah, by Hussain shah Wali, in 1562. There are 33 statues of historical personage of Andhra Desha placed along the bund of the lake. Another major attraction of Hussain Sagar Lake is that the installation of an 18 meter high 350 ton monolithic statue of Lord Buddha on the rock of Gibraltor within the middle of the Lake. Boat rides and musical fountain within the Lumbini Park located in Buddha Purnima are popular attractions.
But the thing that lures people at the Hussain Sagar Lake is literally and symbolically is that the massive Buddha statue that stands majestically within the middle of this placid lake. The statue is entirely fabricated from white granite, finely sculpted and stands grandly on a large dais amidst the glistening waters of the lake. a ship ride to the statue of Buddha is an unforgettable one and offers a sense of immense peace.
Every year, the state tourism board organizes water sports competition for all adventure seekers. The sports range from boating to water-skiing, para sailing and cruising in motorboats. During these competitions, variety of individuals flank the shores of the lake making it the foremost lively and colorful place.
